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Walter Dean Myers

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Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon recounts his and James King ’s trial for the killing of Mr. Nesbitt , a drugstore owner, in a botched robbery in Harlem six months prior. Through personal notes and a screenplay he writes in his notebook, Steve recounts the 11 days between the start of the case and the jury’s verdict. He names the screenplay “ Monster ” after what the state prosecutor Sandra Petrocelli called him in court.

On the first day of the trial, Monday, Steve sits with his attorney Kathy O’Brien and listens to Petrocelli make her opening remarks: according to the state, late last December, James King and Richard “Bobo” Evans entered a drugstore, tried to rob Mr. Nesbitt, and accidentally shot the man with his own handgun. According to the prosecution, Steve Harmon and 14-year-old Osvaldo Cruz both acted as lookouts during the robbery, and are thus legally culpable for the man’s murder, as well. Nobody actually witnessed the murder, but Petrocelli presents her first key witness, a man who claims to have information that connects King and Bobo Evans with the murder. The man himself is a convict who testifies so that his own prison sentence will be reduced. King’s attorney Asa Briggs challenges the witness’s ability to be objective since he is benefiting personally from testifying at the trial. Steve’s mind wanders back to violent scenes from his childhood growing up in Harlem, even though he himself never sought out violence.

On Tuesday, Steve writes about how much he hates jail and how afraid he is—everyone there is violent and only talks about hurting each other. They attack people for no reason, and one of them carries a knife. In court, Petrocelli produces another witness, also a criminal who tells the same story as the first, in exchange for a reduced sentence. Once again, Briggs challenges the witness’s objectivity and moral character, and the judge adjourns the hearing for the day when Briggs starts to get heated. That evening, Steve lies in bed listening to two men beat and rape another inmate. He thinks about his younger brother Jerry and how much he misses him.

On Wednesday, Steve wakes up thinking about how in jail, they take people’s shoelaces and belts so inmates can’t kill themselves. Steve can’t help but think of himself as a monster, just as Petrocelli branded him. O’Brien told him that her job was to make the jury see Steve as a human being instead, and Steve understands why. In court, Petrocelli brings Detective Karyl in to testify, who (supposedly) investigated the murder and made the arrests, even though he never found any actual evidence at the crime scene. Steve recalls the night Karyl and his partner first questioned him. Karyl automatically assumed he was guilty and said he hoped Steve would get the death penalty, even though he’s just a kid. Back in the courtroom, Briggs accuses Karyl of not actually investigating at all, but just finding a few convicts who’d testify for him instead. O’Brien worries that none of this makes Steve look any more innocent, since half the jury will automatically think he’s guilty just because he’s a young black male. Osvaldo Cruz, a 14-year-old kid whom Steve had to be careful not to offend in Harlem, since he is part of a dangerous gang, testifies that he was pressured into participating in the robbery against his will by Bobo, who threatened him.

On Thursday, Steve writes about his relationship with O’Brien. He can tell O’Brien wants to know who he truly is, and Steve wants her to know that he’s a good person, but he doesn’t know how to make her see that. In the courtroom, Osvaldo continues his testimony against King, Bobo, and Steve, which he is giving in exchange for an acquittal, since he is young and claims he was coerced into participating. However, Briggs and O’Brien cross-examine Osvaldo and force him to reveal that not only is he a gang member with a violent history, but he has also at least once committed savage violence against strangers without reason, which ruins the credibility of his claim that he was afraid of Bobo. Later, Steve meets with his father Mr. Harmon , but realizes that their father-son relationship has broken. He thinks that his dad now sees a monster where his son should be. Steve also recalls watching the murder reported on the news and being arrested by the detectives two weeks later.

On Friday, four minor witnesses testify while Steve thinks about Mr. Nesbitt, lying on the floor, knowing he is about to die. Through the medical examiner’s testimony, Steve learns that Mr. Nesbitt was shot through the lung and died after drowning in his own blood. He is horrified.

On Saturday, Steve thinks about how horrible it would be to spend the next two decades of his life in prison, which seems the most likely outcome. He knows O’Brien privately thinks that he’s guilty, even though she’ll still defend him. Mrs. Harmon visits Steve in jail, but he knows it’s too painful for her to see her son as a prisoner. At night, as Steve lies in bed, he questions his own innocence and recalls King telling him that he was going to rob a place and asking Steve if he wanted to be in on it.

On Sunday, Steve attends a church service in the jail until a fight breaks out and everyone is put on lockdown for the morning. He thinks about how nothing feels real anymore outside of jail, not his memories of his old life or the baseball game on TV. Steve’s parents walk Jerry past the window so Steve can see him, though Jerry is not allowed in the jail because he is a child. If he wasn’t an inmate, Steve wouldn’t be allowed in either. His parents visit briefly, and Steve worries about Monday, which will be a critical day for the prosecution.

On Monday, a woman testifies that she was in the drugstore shortly before the murder and saw King and one other man enter, though she admits she had difficulty identifying King. Once she saw the two men fighting with Mr. Nesbitt, she fled the store. Bobo Evans testifies next, also in exchange for a reduced sentence. From what King told him, Bobo understood that Steve was supposed to be their lookout, and he saw Steve enter and exit the drugstore and walk away. After that, he and King entered and fought with Mr. Nesbitt. When Mr. Nesbitt took out a handgun, King wrestled it from him and shot the man, stole cash and cigarettes, and then both of them went to a fast-food restaurant to buy some food and lay low. Briggs and O’Brien cross-examine Bobo, forcing him to admit that Bobo never actually spoke to Steve himself, nor did he ever threaten Osvaldo to help them with the robbery; Osvaldo wanted to be in on the heist. Petrocelli announces that the prosecution has concluded.

On Tuesday, O’Brien admits that it doesn’t look good for Steve. Bobo’s testimony was damning and Briggs is going to try to associate King with Steve, since it will make King look better, as Steve is obviously a decent kid. King’s cousin testifies and gives a weak alibi for King on the day of the murder. O’Brien wants Steve to testify and present himself to the jury as a good kid. She coaches him on what sort of answers to give and Steve realizes that the truth is less important than making the right case.

On the stand, Steve testifies that he was nowhere near the drugstore on the day of the murder (though he’s privately admitted that he was) because he was working on a film project all week. He also testifies that his relationship with King is minimal; he’s just some guy he saw at the playground occasionally when people were playing ball. When Steve is finished, his film teacher Mr. Sawicki provides a character witness and testifies that Steve is an honest, sensitive kid who makes uplifting films about his neighborhood. Briggs makes his closing remarks, claiming that his client King has no connection with Bobo Evans and did not participate in the robbery in any way. O’Brien claims the same for Steve in her own closing remarks, and adds that there is not enough evidence against Steve to lock up a young kid for the rest of his life. The jury leaves to make their decision and Steve and King are taken back to jail.

That Friday, Steve and King are brought back to the courthouse to hear the jury’s verdict. King is found guilty and duly sentenced for a felony murder charge. Steve is found not guilty. He spreads his arms to hug O’Brien, but she turns stiffly away. He remains with his arms outstretched as the image blurs and fades until Steve’s silhouette looks like “some strange beast, a monster.”

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Themes and Analysis

By walter dean myers.

Walter Dean's ‘Monster’ is loaded. Justice, hope and family as themes explored, are just a tip of the iceberg.

Article written by Chioma Julie

Degree in M.C.M. Awarded Best Graduating Student in Literature-in-English at UNISEC.

‘ Monster ’ by Walter Dean Myers has many lessons to teach. The reader has no option but to think critically. Some themes are subtle and might even attach themselves to bigger themes as subthemes. But most of them are clear and stand-alone themes. Now, let us pan our imaginary camera towards this thought-provoking masterpiece to explore for ourselves these themes, some of which will be handled side by side opposites or otherwise.

Monster Themes

Let’s dive into the captivating themes of ‘ Monster ‘ by Walter Dean Myers together. We’ll explore each focal point to unravel the essence of this compelling novel.

Crime and Consequence

Guilt or innocence, hope or hopelessness, humanity/empathy, connections/relationships, disappointment, dissatisfaction, and regret.

This is arguably the major theme in ‘ Monster .’ Most parts of this crime drama take place in the courtroom and the prison yard. We are all here, following Steve Harmon’s camera because a crime was committed. Mr. Nesbitt, a fifty-five-year-old black man, was murdered in his drugstore in Harlem City, with his own for which he had a license.

Anyone who commits a crime should very well be ready to do the time, for actions have consequences. People, including gangsters with criminal records, testify. The gangsters testify, hoping to get breaks from the times they are doing for the crimes they have committed. As long as it wasn’t any of them that murdered Mr. Nesbitt, any other crime must be excusable, they think. Bobo casually describes himself as cold-hearted to get a break. Osvaldo indicts himself. Cruz exposes himself to get a break. Actions have consequences, and James King was going to pay for his eventually.

Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. That is not even my line. It is a popular phrase. Are things that way, though? Are things not always that way, even though they should be that way? I would say ‘yes’ to the second question. Sometimes, prejudice contributes, and it shows. There was something O’Brien said, and it stuck. Rephrasing what she said, the pressure rests on the defendant. The prosecutor goes about walking like the ‘good one’.

One time, Steve says he’s not guilty, and she tells him to say instead that he is innocent. The defendant’s job is to prove, not that the prosecutor is lying, but that he or she is mistaken. James King and Steve Harmon were each to be pronounced guilty or Innocent. The verdict is read, and the latter is to be freed, while the former is to be locked up. Perhaps he would go on to appeal, perhaps he would not.

What is life without hope? Steve lost hope in himself, his mother, the judge, the system in general, and even O’Brien at some point. It was then he began to realize why shoelaces and belts are taken away from people before they are locked up. Someone who has lost all hope would likely be depressed, and someone who is depressed would likely not be far from considering committing suicide. They don’t want that in there. Steve also gets to realize why people go on to appeal after they have been found guilty. All hope is not lost after all, for what is life without hope?

This is highly demonstrated in Steve’s life, earning this theme a place reserved for the major themes. Mrs. Harmon loves Steve so much. His situation makes her cry. One time, she brings Steve a Bible while visiting and tells him to read a passage out loud. Steve sees his father sob. It is his first time witnessing that. Jerry misses his big brother . Steve’s situation breaks Mrs. Harmon’s heart and makes her cry many times, and this in turn breaks Steve’s heart. At some point, Steve wishes Jerry was with him. No, not in prison but just with him, somehow. Jerry’s visit gladdened his heart so much. Steve Harmon’s family made life worth living for him even while in jail, especially while in jail.

We see the guards cruelly teasing the prisoners, even when some of them were yet to be found innocent or guilty. This depicts a complete lack of empathy and humanity, something O’Brien had in abundance. Yes, O’Brien was Steve’s lawyer. But nothing prevented her from keeping things strictly official. Bobo, James King, Osvaldo, and Cruz were all wanting in this area. Empathy cannot be faked, at least, not for long.

When O’Brien sees Steve writing ‘Monster’ (something he was already getting used to being called) repeatedly in the courtroom, she collects the pencil from him and cancels them out. When she sees Steve visibly shaking after taking the stand, his head bowed after one of the students on an excursion smiled at him, he smiled back, but she turned away quickly, she tells him that if he doesn’t believe in himself, no one else would.

Before Steve takes the stand (her idea by the way) she plays a ‘cup’ game with him to ensure that he answers exactly what would help his case. She was to ask questions and any time Steve gives an inappropriate answer, she was to turn the cup upside down. Steve learned from this game that it would be better to present himself as differently as possible from the others : James King, Bobo, and the rest. We also see her asking to know how Steve was feeling at some point. O’Brien had a lot of empathy to give, and she didn’t hold back even one bit.

If Steve had not associated with the likes of James King, he would not have found himself in the middle of a felony murder case as one of the accused. The saying ‘Birds of a feather flock together’ will always remain true. Clearly, he had a whiff of the robbery. He knew a robbery was being planned. He may not have participated actively in the whole thing, but he was aware that these folks planned to rob someone.

The type of people one chooses to associate with affects one in one way or another, whether one likes it or not. This is why the distance between him and his father continues to grow wider, even after he was pronounced not guilty. He just couldn’t come to terms with the fact that his son, his well-behaved son (or so he thought) could associate with gangsters even enough to get roped in a felony murder case. Some of what his father sees now, O’Brien must have seen. That explains why she moved away when Steve made to hug her after they won the case.

The story of ‘ Monster ’ is about justice. It is about seeking justice. Everyone has that right, or at least, everyone should have that right. Everyone has the right to live and pursue happiness if he or she so wishes. It is only just. Mr. Nesbitt’s murder, a crime against humanity, has the state seeking justice. Justice for the dead, yes? And, a loud and clear warning to anyone who might want to go the route that is criminality. Nesbitt would never come back to life, but justice can be served. The saying, ‘What is good for the goose is good for the gander’ holds sway here. Everyone is equal before the law (or should be, at least). Every life is precious.

These emotions were conveyed by O’Brien’s face when the verdict was given. She demonstrates these then, disappointed that she probably has helped the wrong person, someone that wasn’t particularly guilty or Innocent. Dissatisfaction, because she should have probed more, to know who exactly she was sticking herself out her neck for. Regret, that it is now too late to do all that. Mr. Harmon also displays disappointment in his son because of the type of people he chose to associate with, something that landed him in jail.

What important thing does one get to realize reading ‘ Monster?’

One important thing one gets to realize reading ‘ Monster ’ is that even though it is known that life in prison would not be easy, more of the unpleasantness of what is supposed to be a correctional facility was exposed.

What is the major lesson from ‘ Monster?’

The major lesson from ‘ Monster ’ is that life is not straightforward, most times, and it takes one wrong move (intended or not) for things to start plummeting for someone. We should all be careful about the type of people we associate with. Associating with gangsters was Steve Harmon’s major mistake.

What is the significance of Steve’s imaginary camera in ‘ Monster?’

The importance of Steve’s imaginary camera in ‘ Monster ’ cannot be overemphasized. A very significant tool in the story, it is Steve’s imaginary camera we follow throughout the trial and even beyond.

What is the central theme in ‘ Monster ?’

The central theme in ‘ Monster ’ is justice, however, it would be inappropriate not to mention other themes surrounding it. Race, guilt/innocence, hope/hopelessness, and so on, are also other major themes.

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About Chioma Julie

Chioma is a graduate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She has a passion for music, movies, and books. Occasionally, she writes to unwind.

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“Monster” by Walter Dean Myers: Characters & Style Essay (Book Review)

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Alongside with his poems, in 1999, Walter Dean Myers presented an excellent drama novel, Monster , about one 16-year-old black kid, Steve Harmon, who was charged with felony murder. One of the most attractive features of this book is its structure and style of writing. Monster by Walter Dean Myers essay shall provide an analysis of the characters of the book and author’s style. The reader is captivated from the very beginning of the story, as it is similar to the beginning of the famous Star Wars .

Steve Harmon is the writer, director, and main character of Monster. Such a decision to present the story from one person’s point of view, divide characters into good and bad ones, appeal to the facts from one diary only, and use not a standard form of narration is unique indeed.

The style chosen by the author of this story takes several pages to get used to. Monster writing style attracts the attention of the reader due to the contrasting mix of such strategies as controlled development of thoughts and stream of consciousness, which create unique tone and mood in the story. However, such a manner of writing influences Meyers’ development of the theme only in a positive way. Why did Walter Dean Myers write monster in the format of a screenplay? It may be assumed that, by doing so, he wanted to show the feelings of the characters and the development of the conflict at the same time.

Monster is interesting to read because it provides the reader with a chance to create his/her own impression about the main character. The writer does not tell you what to think, but let you make decisions and conclusions independently. During the whole story, it is not mentioned whether the main character is good or bad.

It was pointed out that the character is surrounded by bad people, with bad guns, and bad intentions. Kathy O’Brien is Steve’s defense attorney, and she does believe that Steve is guilty and tries to prepare him for the worst. “Both you and this King character are on trial for felony murder. Felony murder is as severe as it gets. Sandra Petrocelli is the prosecutor, and she’s great. They’re pushing for the death penalty, which is really bad” (Myers 12). Family members also support Steve, though the ending of the book shows complicated relationships between them. Thus, in Monster by Walter Dean Myers, characters provoke ambiguous emotions in the reader.

Steve, as the author of this script, realizes that he is too young to be sentenced to death or spend about 20 years of his life in jail. “They’re pushing for the death penalty, which is really bad” (Myers 12). He also understands that this case will be rather challenging to win because of two simple reasons: (1) even his attorney, O’Brien, finds him guilty, and (2) he is a young black man that makes him being concerned with numerous crimes and larcenies.

He tries to prove that he was just in the wrong place and certainly at the wrong time. (Jones 190) He cannot accept such a reality and decides to do everything possible to evade this likely verdict. He decides to escape if necessary, even if it costs him his life.

O’Brien’s decision to turn away from Steve after the verdict was announced makes all the readers think about why she did it. What made her turn away? Was it the right decision? Maybe, she saw something wrong that even made the screenwriter title this story as Monster .

Young adult literature is one of the most significant steps up, which allows comprehending and analyze various themes from different perspectives (Suen 41), Monster is the story about the importance of making choices in life, possible challenges, and consequences. This book is one of the most brilliant messages to young adults.

It underlines a straightforward truth that only a person, himself/herself, is responsible for all choices he/she makes. The consequences of any decision will undoubtedly affect both the life of the person, who makes a choice, and the lives of other people. This is why it is crucially important to realize such significance and make wise and well-weight decisions.

Works Cited

Jones, D. Painless Reading Comprehension. Barron’s Educational Series, 2004.

Myers, W. D. Monster. HarperTemest, 2001.

Suen, A. Picture Writing. Writer’s Digest Books, 2003.

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IvyPanda. (2018, June 25). "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers: Characters & Style. https://ivypanda.com/essays/monster-by-walter-dean-myers-the-significance-of-personal-choice/

""Monster" by Walter Dean Myers: Characters & Style." IvyPanda , 25 June 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/monster-by-walter-dean-myers-the-significance-of-personal-choice/.

IvyPanda . (2018) '"Monster" by Walter Dean Myers: Characters & Style'. 25 June.

IvyPanda . 2018. ""Monster" by Walter Dean Myers: Characters & Style." June 25, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/monster-by-walter-dean-myers-the-significance-of-personal-choice/.

1. IvyPanda . ""Monster" by Walter Dean Myers: Characters & Style." June 25, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/monster-by-walter-dean-myers-the-significance-of-personal-choice/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . ""Monster" by Walter Dean Myers: Characters & Style." June 25, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/monster-by-walter-dean-myers-the-significance-of-personal-choice/.

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54 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Pages 89-200

Pages 201-281

Monster Additional Material

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Summary and Study Guide

Monster , a YA novel about a Black New York teenager accused of murder, quickly became one of Walter Dean Myers's most acclaimed works when it was published in 1999, winning the Coretta Scott King Award , receiving the Prime Excellence Award of the American Library Association , named a National Book Award Finalist.

The completion and release of the novel occurred during the arc of the conviction and eventual exoneration of the Central Park 5, Black teenagers who were wrongfully accused of attacking a white female jogger in 1990, then released in 2002. The focus on a young man accused of a serious crime suggests a parallel, yet Monster is intentionally ambiguous regarding the guilt or innocence of the protagonist .

The 20th anniversary edition from Harper Teen, upon which this summary is based, includes several extra features, including a study guide and a candid interview with Myers. Readers should be aware that the text contains adult language. There are references and depictions of gun and physical violence, drug use, and sexual assault.

Plot Summary

Myers alternates between different points of view and genres of literature. Chronologically, the narrative starts with the main character, 16-year-old Steve Harmon , a Black high school student from Harlem who is incarcerated in the Manhattan Detention Center waiting to go on trial for murder.

Harmon introduces himself in the first person, journaling about the hell of being locked up, his constant fear , and the ways he has had to adapt to avoid physical and sexual assault. Steve’s escape from the surreal experience of jail is through imagining that he, a film student, is depicting events as a movie. Thus, much of the novel is presented in the form of a third person screenplay. Using an opening credit montage, Steve introduces the other main players in the movie: Kathy O’Brien , his defense attorney; Sandra Petrocelli , the prosecutor; James King , his co-defendant and the person accused of shooting Mr. Nesbitt, the drug store owner; Bobo Evans and Osvaldo Cruz, witnesses who have turned State’s evidence to avoid lengthy jail sentences.

Myers does not use chapters for breaks, instead cutting back and forth between the ongoing trial and previous events in Steve’s life that pertain to what is currently happening.

Before presenting evidence against the defendants, the prosecutor calls a series of witnesses to demonstrate how the police came to identify the suspects in the case. The defense attorneys (Kathy for Steve and Asa Briggs for James King) point out to the jury that witnesses against their clients have something to gain by presenting evidence against King and Steve. Privately, Kathy expresses concern that the prosecutor is working slyly to make Steve appear to be a stereotypical delinquent.

While the trial progresses, Steve catches glimpses of ordinary New York life entering and leaving court. He also remembers and longs for the life he had before he was locked up and has suicidal thoughts.

Flashbacks presented as scenes in his screenplay show Steve interacting with others who end up being involved in the trial. King approaches Steve to serve as a lookout for him and Bobo when they rob Mr. Nesbitt’s drugstore. In that pivotal flashback, King pressures Steve to enter the drugstore, check to make sure there are no police or customers inside, and signal as he leaves the store that it is clear of other patrons. Pointedly, the scene ends without Steve saying whether he will do so.

In the courtroom scenes, the prosecution ties its case together through the testimony of Bobo, who has taken a plea bargain for a lesser charge and a shorter sentence. Following Bobo’s testimony, Kathy is concerned that the jury is against Steven. She tells him he must testify and calls a very effective character witness, Mr. Sawicki, the teacher who runs the video club to which Steve belongs.

Steve and King are celled together as they await the verdict. King expresses bravado, while Steve admits that he is frightened. After deliberating, the jury returns a verdict of guilty for King, who is promptly led out of court. Steve is found not guilty. Elated, he opens his arms to embrace Kathy, who turns away.

In a final journal entry, Steve describes what his life has become after his acquittal. His thoughts are still haunted by his seven months in prison and even more by the accusation of the prosecutor that he is a monster. He continues to film himself as a form of self-evaluation, trying to determine what kind of a person he truly is.

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Essay: A ‘Monster’ and Its Humanity

Reading Frankenstein, now 200 years old

Published Dec. 22, 2017

The Creature as shown in the 1831 edition of Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus.

The British Library Board

Ronald Levao

Professor of English Susan J. Wolfson is the editor of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: A Longman Cultural Edition and co-editor, with Ronald Levao, of The Annotated Frankenstein.  

Published in January 1818, Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus has never been out of print or out of cultural reference. “Facebook’s Frankenstein Moment: A Creature That Defies Technology’s Safeguards” was the headline on a New York Times business story Sept. 22 — 200 years on. The trope needed no footnote, although Kevin Roose’s gloss — “the scientist Victor Frankenstein realizes that his cobbled-together creature has gone rogue” — could use some adjustment: The Creature “goes rogue” only after having been abandoned and then abused by almost everyone, first and foremost that undergraduate scientist. Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg and CEO Sheryl Sandberg, attending to profits, did not anticipate the rogue consequences: a Frankenberg making. 

The original Frankenstein told a terrific tale, tapping the idealism in the new sciences of its own age, while registering the throb of misgivings and terrors. The 1818 novel appeared anonymously by a down-market press (Princeton owns one of only 500 copies). It was a 19-year-old’s debut in print. The novelist proudly signed herself “Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley” when it was reissued in 1823, in sync with a stage concoction at London’s Royal Opera House in August. That debut ran for nearly 40 nights; it was staged by the Princeton University Players in May 2017. 

In a seminar that I taught on Frankenstein in various contexts at Princeton in the fall of 2016 — just weeks after the 200th anniversary of its conception in a nightmare visited on (then) Mary Godwin in June 1816 — we had much to consider. One subject was the rogue uses and consequences of genomic science of the 21st century. Another was the election season — in which “Frankenstein” was a touchstone in the media opinions and parodies. Students from sciences, computer technology, literature, arts, and humanities made our seminar seem like a mini-university. Learning from each other, we pondered complexities and perplexities: literary, social, scientific, aesthetic, and ethical. If you haven’t read Frankenstein (many, myself included, found the tale first on film), it’s worth your time. 

READ MORE  PAW Goes to the Movies: ‘Victor Frankenstein,’ with Professor Susan Wolfson

Scarcely a month goes by without some development earning the prefix Franken-, a near default for anxieties about or satires of new events. The dark brilliance of Frankenstein is both to expose “monstrosity” in the normal and, conversely, to humanize what might seem monstrously “other.” When Shelley conceived Frankenstein, Europe was scarred by a long war, concluding on Waterloo fields in May 1815. “Monster” was a ready label for any enemy. Young Frankenstein begins his university studies in 1789, the year of the French Revolution. In 1790, Edmund Burke’s international best-selling Reflections on the French Revolution recoiled at the new government as a “monster of a state,” with a “monster of a constitution” and “monstrous democratic assemblies.” Within a few months, another international best-seller, Tom Paine’s The Rights of Man, excoriated “the monster Aristocracy” and cheered the American Revolution for overthrowing a “monster” of tyranny.

Following suit, Mary Shelley’s father, William Godwin, called the ancien régime a “ferocious monster”; her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was on the same page: Any aristocracy was an “artificial monster,” the monarchy a “luxurious monster,” and Europe’s despots a “race of monsters in human shape.” Frankenstein makes no direct reference to the Revolution, but its first readers would have felt the force of its setting in the 1790s, a decade that also saw polemics for (and against) the rights of men, women, and slaves. 

England would abolish its slave trade in 1807, but Colonial slavery was legal until 1833. Abolitionists saw the capitalists, investors, and masters as the moral monsters of the global economy. Apologists regarded the Africans as subhuman, improvable perhaps by Christianity and a work ethic, but alarming if released, especially the men. “In dealing with the Negro,” ultra-conservative Foreign Secretary George Canning lectured Parliament in 1824, “we are dealing with a being possessing the form and strength of a man, but the intellect only of a child. To turn him loose in the manhood of his physical strength ... would be to raise up a creature resembling the splendid fiction of a recent romance.” He meant Frankenstein. 

Mary Shelley heard about this reference, and knew, moreover, that women (though with gilding) were a slave class, too, insofar as they were valued for bodies rather than minds, were denied participatory citizenship and most legal rights, and were systemically subjugated as “other” by the masculine world. This was the argument of her mother’s Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), which she was rereading when she was writing Frankenstein. Unorthodox Wollstonecraft — an advocate of female intellectual education, a critic of the institution of marriage, and the mother of two daughters conceived outside of wedlock — was herself branded an “unnatural” woman, a monstrosity. 

Shelley had her own personal ordeal, which surely imprints her novel. Her parents were so ready for a son in 1797 that they had already chosen the name “William.” Even worse: When her mother died from childbirth, an awful effect was to make little Mary seem a catastrophe to her grieving father. No wonder she would write a novel about a “being” rejected from its first breath. The iconic “other” in Frankenstein is of course this horrifying Creature (he’s never a “human being”). But the deepest force of the novel is not this unique situation but its reverberation of routine judgments of beings that seem “other” to any possibility of social sympathy. In the 1823 play, the “others” (though played for comedy) are the tinker-gypsies, clad in goatskins and body paint (one is even named “Tanskin” — a racialized differential).

Victor Frankenstein greets his awakening creature as a “catastrophe,” a “wretch,” and soon a “monster.” The Creature has no name, just these epithets of contempt. The only person to address him with sympathy is blind, spared the shock of the “countenance.” Readers are blind this way, too, finding the Creature only on the page and speaking a common language. This continuity, rather than antithesis, to the human is reflected in the first illustrations: 

In the cover for the 1823 play, above, the Creature looks quite human, dishy even — alarming only in size and that gaze of expectation. The 1831 Creature, shown on page 29, is not a patent “monster”: It’s full-grown, remarkably ripped, human-looking, understandably dazed. The real “monster,” we could think, is the reckless student fleeing the results of an unsupervised undergraduate experiment gone rogue. 

In Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein pleads sympathy for the “human nature” in his revulsion. “I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health ... but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room.” Repelled by this betrayal of “beauty,” Frankenstein never feels responsible, let alone parental. Shelley’s genius is to understand this ethical monstrosity as a nightmare extreme of common anxiety for expectant parents: What if I can’t love a child whose physical formation is appalling (deformed, deficient, or even, as at her own birth, just female)? 

The Creature’s advent in the novel is not in this famous scene of awakening, however. It comes in the narrative that frames Frankenstein’s story: a polar expedition that has become icebound. Far on the ice plain, the ship’s crew beholds “the shape of a man, but apparently of gigantic stature,” driving a dogsled. Three paragraphs on, another man-shape arrives off the side of the ship on a fragment of ice, alone but for one sled dog. “His limbs were nearly frozen, and his body dreadfully emaciated by fatigue and suffering,” the captain records; “I never saw a man in so wretched a condition.” This dreadful man focuses the first scene of “animation” in Frankenstein: “We restored him to animation by rubbing him with brandy, and forcing him to swallow a small quantity. As soon as he shewed signs of life, we wrapped him up in blankets, and placed him near the chimney of the kitchen-stove. By slow degrees he recovered ... .” 

The re-animation (well before his name is given in the novel) turns out to be Victor Frankenstein. A crazed wretch of a “creature” (so he’s described) could have seemed a fearful “other,” but is cared for as a fellow human being. His subsequent tale of his despicably “monstrous” Creature is scored with this tremendous irony. The most disturbing aspect of this Creature is his “humanity”: this pathos of his hope for family and social acceptance, his intuitive benevolence, bitterness about abuse, and skill with language (which a Princeton valedictorian might envy) that solicits fellow-human attention — all denied by misfortune of physical formation. The deepest power of Frankenstein, still in force 200 years on, is not its so-called monster, but its exposure of “monster” as a contingency of human sympathy.  

Published in the Jan. 10, 2018 , Issue

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MONSTER STUDY GUIDE - MONSTER SUMMARY

Themes - theme analysis, introspection or the self-examination of your own thoughts and feelings.

The theme of introspection is the most relevant of the novel. It refers to how the entire novel is not just Steve’s re-telling of the events he must endure after the murder of Mr. Nesbitt, but also how he works through each step of the road he took when he associated himself with people like Bobo, James, and Osvaldo.

Sometimes, he believes that he’s done nothing wrong while at other times, at least in his heart, he knows what he did was wrong. This introspection begins at the beginning of the screenplay, but doesn’t stop when the screenplay ends. That’s because Steve still doesn’t know who he is, and it’s obvious that he’s in a crisis of some kind, trying to find out the truth. He can’t forget the revulsion on Miss O’Brien’s face, and so the introspection has a long way to go.

Peer Pressure

Another theme is peer pressure. This is another important idea presented to the young people who might read this novel. It presents the reality of the world, that there are people who do bad things out of selfishness and greed, and they often impact in devastating ways on people around them. This is true for all young people, but is especially a problem in the inner city where young Black men have few if any good role models in their lives.

Steve is not as deeply impacted by this as are Bobo, James, and Osvaldo, but he, too, feels the pressure to belong to groups and individuals who won’t affect him positively. Proving his manhood is extremely important. That might mean joining a gang, like Osvaldo, or following a tougher guy who has robbery or even murder on his mind. For Steve, the lessons of his home were not enough to handle the pressure, and in his desire to show he was a man, he made decisions he will have to live with the rest of his life.

Being a Young Black Man in Harlem

A third theme is that of young Black men in Harlem. This theme is part of the author’s intent to show the way life in the inner city leads many young Black men straight to prison. They live lives of quiet desperation where the only way they can prove themselves or make any kind of mark is through crime. They are often uneducated and inadequately prepared to live lives of integrity and morality.

The author isn’t trying to justify what these young men do nor exonerate them for their crimes; however, he is trying to point out the social problems we often want to throw under a rug or in the case of these Black men, into prison. It’s a problem the Black community must face, but it’s also a problem for our entire country. There are too many young Black men in prison and the reasons why should be analyzed and resolved.

Race and the American Justice System

A final theme concerns race and the justice system. Even Miss O’Brien is aware that race impacts on a jury’s conception of an accused perpetrator. She worries that his being Black will make the jury automatically assume he is guilty. Furthermore, the author seems to hint that the justice system will put these people in jail by any means necessary and therefore, is biased. In fact, there is a subtle suggestion that often a young Black man cannot get a fair trial.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers Free BookNotes Summary

by Walter Dean Myers

Monster quotes and analysis.

"I know [my mama] loves me, but I wonder what she's thinking." Steve

Steve expresses the uncertainty he feels regarding his family. Although Steve is adamant about defending his own innocence, he continually worries about how his arrest has affected his family's judgment of his morality. Although Mrs. Harmon expresses her unwavering support towards Steve, the protagonist's uncertainty reveals his own unrest. In this quote Steve also reveals his fear of abandonment. This fear is rooted in the intense isolation that Steve experiences while imprisoned.

"The dream took place in the courtroom. I was trying to ask questions and nobody could hear me. I was shouting and shouting but everyone went about their business as if I wasn't there." Steve

While in jail, Steve has many nightmares. This particular dream is a frightening projection of how he feels throughout the course of the court proceedings. Due to the judicial process, Steve is unable to independently and candidly express himself. Rather, he must relinquish control and rely on O'Brien to tell his story. Steve feels trapped in his own thoughts, which further exacerbates his feeling of isolation.

"You use stories and you use people, right?" Kathy O'Brien

O’Brien makes this statement while addressing Zinzi on the stand. On one hand, Zinzi is helping to shed light on the murder case. On the other hand, he has his own motivations for testifying. Thus, this quote emphasizes the survival instinct that is so prevalent among prisoners. In prison, individuals are incessantly threatened. Thus, prisoners will often use their peers as tools for survival. Tipping off a cop or twisting the truths of their own crimes can lead to shortened sentences. In this way, this quote addresses the two-fold motivations for witness testimonies.

"[…] in reality, it depends on how the jury sees the case." O’Brien

Here, O’Brien addresses the harsh reality of the American court system. Although Steve wants to believe that the court will see him as "innocent until proven guilty," O'Brien explains that this statement is nothing more than an idealistic adage. Steve must grapple with the fact that his fate rests in the hands of strangers.

"We lie to ourselves here. Maybe we are here because we lie to ourselves." Steve

This quote addresses the motif of deceit that is present throughout the story. In the story, lying is shown to have both detrimental and advantageous effects. Lying is the root of many problems in the judicial system, and fellow prisoners lie frequently under oath in order to get reduced sentences. However, lying is also a coping mechanism for prisoners to process their realities. For example, Steve lies to himself frequently in order to hold onto a sense of hope.

"His film footage shows me what he's seeing, and, to a large extent, what he's thinking. And what he sees, the humanity of it, speaks of a very deep character." Mr. Sawicki

During the case, Mr. Sawicki testifies to Steve's character. Mr. Sawicki references Steve's films in order to defend his student in the court. This quote expresses the power of art and its connection to human nature. This quote prompts the audience to consider the validity of Mr. Sawicki's testimony. Is it valid to use one's art to justify one's character? To what extent is art an escape rather than a depiction of reality?

"They are all equally guilty. The one who grabbed the cigarettes, the one who wrestled for the gun, the one who checked the place to see if the coast was clear." Sandra Petrocelli

Petrocelli, the prosecutor, argues that all of the people involved in the burglary are equally culpable of the murder that resulted. This assertion prompts the reader to question the validity and the moral implications of this statement. Is the person who surveyed the scene as culpable as the person that shot and killed Mr. Nesbitt?

"I think I finally understand why there are so many fights. In here, all you have going for you is the little surface stuff, how people look at you and what they say." Steve

Steve describes how the conditions of jail are different than the conditions of the real world. Steve is consistently wary of the violence he experiences while in prison. However, he recognizes that heightened vulnerability is met with heightened defense. Steve's observation of his environment further demonstrates how he desires to distance himself from his surroundings.

"It's like his man looking down to see his son and seeing a monster instead." Steve

Steve addresses his fraught relationship with his father. Steve can sense his father's disappointment due to his involvement in the crime, despite Steve's assertion that he is innocent. Once Steve is accused of being an accomplice, his father loses his confidence and trust in his son. This father-son dynamic reveals the detrimental effects that prison has on an entire family.

"Who was Steve Harmon? I wanted to open my shirt and tell her to look into my heart to see who I really was, who the real Steve Harmon was." Steve

Steve addresses his confusion and frustrations concerning his relationship with O'Brien. Although O'Brien is his lawyer, Steve feels as though she does not truly believe in his innocence. Rather, she has a pre-set view of Steve's character and does not view him as a unique person. Steve strives for O'Brien to see him as a human rather than a monster, thus revealing Steve's own struggle with his sense of himself.

Monster Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Monster is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Wednesday, July 8th

The script allows Steve to speak and express himself when in court... it symbolizes his reality.

Please post your questions separately.

Edgar Allan Poe

This depends on what you want to comment on. Can you be more specific? Is it a specific work that he has done?

what page number is "You do the crime, you do the time. You act like garbage, they treat you like garbage" on

Page numbers differ depending on your book copy but you can find this quote in chapter 6.

Study Guide for Monster

Monster study guide contains a biography of Walter Dean Myers, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Monster
• Monster Summary
• Character List

Essays for Monster

Monster essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Monster by Walter Dean Myers.

• Race and Identity: 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' and 'Monster'
• A Modernist Monster: Techniques and Social Messaging in Myers' Novel

Wikipedia Entries for Monster

• Introduction

Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Physical Appearance — The Characteristics Of A Monster

The Characteristics of a Monster

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How to Write a Monster That Will Scare Your Readers

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Nov 12, 2021 • 4 min read

From Count Dracula to Ramsay Bolton, some of the most memorable characters in literature are monsters. Use these examples and tips to generate great monster ideas for your own writing.